In the Middle of Nowhere
by Ed3n001
Summary: Let's assume you're just an ordinary, not standing out teenager. What would you do if your life was turned upside-down in a matter of seconds? Would you be able to survive in a new, harsh reality torn by a cold war? Who would you trust? Who would you despise? OC/SI-ish. Year 3646 BBY and onwards.
1. Prologue

**Author's note:**

 **Hi there, dear reader!  
I'm Ed3n001 aka the person that's currently writing this story.**

 **I see you stumbled upon this poorly written fanfic! How nice of you to even consider reading this. This is actually my first story ever on FFNet and one of the first stories I have ever written purely in English (I'm not a native speaker). Feel free to point out any mistakes. I welcome constructive criticism. (Seriously) ;)**

 **As you might have already observed, this story is an OC/SI.** **I would say this is more of an OC story but it does possess some SI elements. (While I may have something in common with the main character, I'm neither a male nor from the US).**

 **The action takes place in the Old Republic times, hence I marked this as Legends. I was wondering if I shouldn't put this in the Star Wars Games category. The story starts in the year** **3646 BBY (or year 7 after** **the Treaty of Coruscant). While it may contain some characters listed in legends (and therefore appearing in** **SWTOR** **), such as Satele Shan, it will mostly focus on various OCs.**

 **Only the main character is written in 1st person. Any other characters appearing through the story will be written in 3rd person.**

 _potato_ \- thought

 **potato** \- I use it when I want to put an emphasis on something

 ** _potato_ **\- emphasis on a certain thought

 _*potato*_ \- lyrics

 **Warning: Foul language, violence, etc.**

 **Disclaimer: The Star Wars franchise belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. I write this purely for fun.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

The trees outside of my window were swaying slightly, their leaves touched by the light breeze. Their branches were all bathed in dim sunlight, setting long, thin shadows on the sidewalk. One more time I was listening to my favorite tune, lost in thought, hoping to further delay what had to be done.

 _Enough is enough._

I unplugged my headphones from the USB port and reached out to turn off my laptop, but stopped mid-way, deciding that I might need access to the Internet judging by just how fast my work is going. And by my fabulous ability not to understand anything written in my Physics textbook. _Well, not my fault that it just mostly seems like utter gibberish_.

The dimming sunlight was seeping through two large windows located directly above my desk. It illuminated my blue-painted room in a warm, orange-red tone.

 _I really shouldn't be doing this right now._

I yawned, covering my widely open mouth with one hand. This was becoming more and more a habit of mine. I was supposed to study – I had an exam tomorrow morning. But well... let's just say I couldn't exactly bring myself to it. Again.

I picked up my notes once more, surveying them _very_ intently.

 _...mass something..._  
 _electricity..._

I set them down for the umpteenth time. _But it's easy. I've got this covered._

A minute of silence for my oh-so-brilliant mind.

 _Damn it_ _, Josh! Get your ass **up** and **working** , you lazy piece of shit!_

As some say, better late than never. Having thoroughly scolded myself, I sat up, this time fully intending to finally get something done. I grabbed my pen and opened my textbook. After reminding myself just what exactly I had to do, I started frantically turning pages in search of the right subject.

As you might have already observed, I'm just a normal teenager. Maybe a little lazy at times, but I assure I could be very stubborn when I want to get something done. I also pride in my irresponsibility and, possibly, absent-mindedness. It's my last year at high school, so I've been telling myself I should start putting more effort into my studies. What I say and what I do are two different things, sadly.

As for my daily routine - I jog, I started practicing swimming recently, I meet with my friends. I generally enjoy living a peaceful life.

I began reading and taking notes in hopes of finally understanding at least some of the stuff I had to know with flying colors by tomorrow.

* * *

Thirty minutes passed and I was starting to get the hang of it. Over forty minutes passed and I heard the sound of a doorbell coming from the front door.

 _Great._

 _Why, oh why, does it have to be now?_

Mentally cursing my neighbors, I stood up and went downstairs to check who decided to hassle me. We didn't have guests very often which led me to believe this might be an emergency. _Maybe Ms. Allen forgot how to change settings on her TV again?_

The sight that greeted my eyes after opening the door was, to say the least, not what I expected.

An elderly woman was standing on my porch. Her back was slightly hunched over, gray, greasy hair partially obscuring her wrinkly, ancient-looking face. She was quite skinny and dressed in very worn-and-old looking clothes that hung on her as if she was a skeleton of sorts. This definitely wasn't the kind-looking, plump-faced old lady that sometimes asked us for help.

I felt a chill crawl up my spine.

I didn't know why but somehow I felt as if there was something... _off_ about her.

 _Yeah. Very off._

I brushed this inexplicable feeling aside, deciding it was probably just an old, homeless lady.

"Erm..." I stuttered but quickly regained my composure. "is there anything I could do for you?" The woman just stared at me for a painfully long moment. I only felt more and more uneasy.

 _This shit is getting weirder and weirder._

I was about to close the door and walk away, hoping she will just leave, when she spoke.  
"Good evening." She had a very distinct accent that I couldn't place. For some unexplainable reason, her voice made my blood turn cold. It was even worse than just being around her overall. "Would you like to know your fortune, young man?"

This sentence immediately set off all the alarm bells in my mind. _So she's some kind of a fortune teller? Randomly visiting people's houses? Staring at them blankly and then asking if they want to know their future?_

She was obviously giving off a very creepy vibe, suspicious looking and asking really weird questions.

She was also most probably going to scam me if I got into this _'future-fate telling'_ stuff.

I did what any sane person would do.  
"Sorry, um, no, thank you." Not waiting for a response, I quickly closed and locked the door.

 _Well, that was... something._

I wiped the sweat from my brow and shook myself from whatever feelings this strange encounter has awoken in me. For a moment I felt a twinge of guilt. It might have been a bit rude, slamming the door in someone's face. Still, my reasons were obvious and _quite_ legitimate.

I was partially curious if she was still just standing there. I decided not to pry though, believing that faster I stop bothering myself with all this the faster I forget any of it happened.

I still couldn't understand why I felt so tense - as if the fucking _end of the world_ was about to go down. It was just an old woman. Creepy and weird and suspicious like hell. But still - all I had to do was lock the door.

I went upstairs, trying to brush off the whole affair. I've almost done it but then the I heard someone ring the doorbell. Again.

 _Oh, for the love of-_

I considered going downstairs once more but in the end, decided to stay in my room and just continue what I've been previously doing. I hoped she would just give up and just go away, without me having to call the police on her.

The studying took me well over three hours but I finally did it. _I understand it! Unbelievable. And it wasn't even that difficult!_

 _Points for Josh the genius._

Suppressing the urge to punch the air I heard buzzing from somewhere within my backpack. I fished out my phone from in-between some schoolbooks and looked over at the screen, wondering who was calling me at this ungodly hour.

 _'Kate'_

It was my sister. _They must be coming back earlier than they anticipated._

My entire family – excluding me of course - went camping for the whole weekend. I didn't come mostly because I had to study. At least that's what I told them. Can't say I don't enjoy having the entire house to myself.

I hastily touched the 'receive' icon on the screen. "Yes?"

"Hi, Josh! We'll be home in 10 minutes. Mom asks if you did the laundry and bought groceries from the store." Her high-pitched, cheery voice rang throughout my smartphone's speakers.

 _Laundry? Check..._

 _Groceries? Well, shit._

"Laundry's done." I then coughed up into my hand. "But I forgot the groceries." I gave her the most apologetic tone of voice I could muster up.

 _When you just hang around the house for three days straight doing absolutely nothing and then forget half the things you were supposed to get done._

 _Yeah._

I could hear muted voices on the other end of the line. After a few seconds, my sister was again on the phone.  
"Mom says you better move your lazy butt to the store soon. I think the local supermarket should still be opened." She sounded much more irritated this time.

"Right, right, I'm going." I started rummaging through my closet in search of something to wear while still holding my phone up to my ear. It started getting progressively colder in the evenings lately.

"See ya home, jackass. And hurry."

"Bye, midget. And **I'm going**." I responded and disconnected the call.

I put on a random, black jacket, jogged downstairs and began putting on my trainers. When I was done I picked up the keys to my house and exited. I locked the door, turned around and made a few steps forward when I almost tripped over something. I heard a dull thud and gripped the railing of my porch to balance myself.

 _What the hell?_

My gaze shifted to the floor. Right in front of me laid a simple cube. It was the size of a basketball. It didn't have any carvings or signs on itself and the light from the garden lanterns reflected off of it, giving it a metallic feel.

"What in the world is **that**?!" I wondered aloud, agitated, leaning against the railing and clutching my sore foot tightly.

 _Who put this here? And why?_ After a few seconds of quick reconsideration, I decided it might have been that woman from before. Well, it was most probably her, given the way she was acting.

 _What is this?_ A few case scenarios flashed through my mind. This _gift_ might have been some kind of a trinket, a **bomb** , a useless piece of junk or something else entirely.

I knew one thing – I needed to get this box off of my porch as soon as possible. I didn't know why, but there was something _wrong_ with it - something that made me feel nervous, irritated, _uneasy._ My sixth sense - up till now I didn't know I had one - was screaming danger. Having no knowledge of what this cube-thingy might have been, I crouched and attempted to lift it up.

I realized this was probably a stupid idea. A very stupid idea. Too bad it was too late. _You think it's a bomb? Don't touch it!_

The moment my fingers connected with its cold surface, all that I could see was a bright swirl and a myriad of colors, forming hexagonal shapes and fractals.

 ** _WHAT THE-_**

I screamed.

I screamed and screamed and screamed but no one could hear me. All I could see were multicolored shapes, moving like in a kaleidoscope. I was falling. Or floating. Or both, somehow.

It could have been an hour, a few minutes or a mere second. The colors started slowing down and forming something akin to a bubble. I was so dizzy I only watched this freaky light show, not giving it much thought. After a moment of pointless waiting, I noticed that the bubble became darker. Much darker. Now it looked like more of a hole than a bubble. An abyss, black and devoid of anything else in it.

It was a terrifying sight.

I was pulled towards it by an invisible force.

 _NO! No, no, wait, no, stop!_

I was practically mentally screaming but no matter how hard I struggled the black mass was still growing bigger before my eyes with each passing second. Soon only a few inches separated me from its pitch black, bottomless form.

The darkness engulfed me, leaving a cold, prickling feeling on my skin, filling both my nostrils and my mouth with a strange, thick substance. I felt like I was suffocating with it, almost as if I was drowning although it was no liquid. I desperately tried to free myself from the clutches of this horrifying abnormality, but I was basically surrounded by said black matter hence I had no possible means of escape.

I couldn't do much more than await my fate.

I was unable to stop the fear from taking control of my senses - hell, I didn't want to die yet! There was too much for me to experience, to live for. I could vaguely hear my heart beating in my chest, thumping against my rib cage as if it was going to pop out any second.

There was nothing in sight. Only unending blackness.

 _This is it. I'm done for._

I let the darkness claim me.

* * *

I woke up with a start.

 _Holy fuck!_

My breath was ragged, my heartbeat was strained and I was covered in cold sweat from head to toe. I was still trembling slightly, not able to comprehend what has happened to me just seconds ago. Bright dots of various shapes and colors were swimming before my eyes, blurring my vision. Everything seemed to be rocking back and forth, like on a ship during a particularly violent storm. I could feel I was lying down on the ground, not very aware of how I got there. Unable to withstand the bile rising up my throat any longer I rolled over and vomited on the hard, stone surface that was covered in some kind of... _wait, is this sand?_

 _What the hell is sand doing in my garden?_

I sat up and moved away from what used to be my dinner, still feeling a bit nauseous. I was pretty confused and _hella_ dazed. _What in the world happened?_

My vision cleared up a little and I got to see just exactly where I am.

To put it lightly, it was not something I expected to behold.

I stared in mute horror at my surroundings, not able to believe my eyes in the slightest. It appeared to be a cavern of sorts, made out of red sandstone. Particles of dust could be seen floating around in places where the light shone through small holes in the ceiling. The air seemed warm and immensely dry, indicating I was somewhere _**really** _far away from the north of US. It was the middle of autumn, for god's sake!

 _What the hell!? What_ _the freaking-_

I had no clue of how I got here, where was 'here' and how long I have been just lying on the ground, unconscious.

 _Was I kidnapped? Did they drug me or something!?_

I tried to calm the anxiety rising in the pit of my stomach but failed miserably. The image of an old, lanky woman dressed in loose, unmatching and dirty clothes flashed through my mind. It occurred to me that maybe she had something to do with whatever the hell happened to me. Too bad I couldn't remember half the things I did before I woke up here! My mind was a total mess.

 _Calm the hell down!_

Firstly, I needed to sort my thoughts out before doing anything else. I sucked in a breath of fresh air and exhaled _very_ slowly. _Yup._ That certainly made me feel at least a tad better _._

 _Great._

Secondly... _Yes, well, secondly..._ At that moment I realized I had no idea what to do next. Hell, I have never been in a real life-threatening situation before! Well, maybe not including that time when I almost started a fire in the kitchen with the help of my sister, but my current position couldn't really compare to that, could it?

After a while of going through options, I decided it would be best if I found out just exactly where I ended up and if someone's around. It was probably the least senseless idea at my disposal.

I hesitantly took a few steps forward after standing up from the ground. My clothes were covered in sand and I noticed I still had my jacket on. I unzipped it and tied it around my waist. It would be useless in such a warm climate but somehow I didn't want to lose it. I began heading towards the only exit from this place visible to me, a narrow ramification from the main chamber of the cave.

"Is anybody there?!" I shouted, trying to be relatively loud.

There was no response whatsoever.

"Hello!?" I tried again, still on the move.

Silence. My hopes of finding anybody, even be it a kidnapper himself, began dwindling drastically. I was on my own.

Soon after entering the narrow, stone corridor I was out. Apparently, it was a pretty small cave. I covered my vision with my arm, not expecting everything to be so bright. Thankfully my eyes were able to quickly adjust to my surroundings. I looked up at the sky again, only to have my jaw drop all the way to the ground. What I saw then is what truly shook me to the core.

So I just stared, dumbfounded, at what was before me.

I stared at the two suns.

 _Two **fucking** suns._


	2. Not In Kansas Anymore

**Author's note:**

 **So, first of all, I wanted to thank for that one little review. Thanks. Really.**

 **Second of all, I apologize for taking so long. I'm sorry to say that the chapters will most probably be posted** **irregularly.**

* * *

 **1\. Not In Kansas Anymore**

 _This is **not** real._

After I gathered my jaw from the ground all I could do was gape dumbly at the barren wasteland surrounding me. As you can see, I was pretty much shaken by my current situation, as well as by the fact I was alone in the middle of some god-damn nowhere. Really, who wouldn't be? But there was apparently an even more pressing matter - the sky. The sky on which brightly shone not one but **two** suns. I felt my stomach do a few flip-flops as my thoughts started swirling in my head, leaving nothing but a tangled mess.

 _I'm dreaming. This is a dream, a very realistic dream, but a dream nevertheless. Don't freak out, don't freak out, this isn't really happening!_

The mantra I kept repeating in my head helped me soothe my nerves at least to a small extent. This couldn't possibly be real, could it? I must've hit my head on the way downstairs or something. Maybe I slipped and fell off the stairs? Just a few more minutes and I'll wake up, safe and sound.

I couldn't remember much from after my sister called me. There was a blank spot in between my conversation and... that darkness. That terrifying, suffocating-

I really must've hit my head. Hard.

 _How do I wake up?_

That was a good question. A good question, I, unfortunately, didn't have an answer to. _Had I broken something? Maybe I'm in a coma?_ I heard that people who fell into comas had pretty realistic dreams - it would match my situation fairly well. _So what do I do? Do I pinch my arm and poof?_

Out of curiosity and with a hint of hope I tried it. Didn't work.

 _So what now?_ I couldn't just stand here forever - it was getting hot. And by hot, I mean **really** hot. Like, impossibly hot, even. _Is it even supposed to get hot in dreams?_

 _Because i_ _f this is not a dream, there is a pretty high chance I'll run out of fluids in my body rather quickly._

That thought gave me shivers. I had to find civilization. Or at least a shelter, preferably with access to TV, cold drinks and a shower. _That should be easy enough, right? Since it's just a dream. Because logically, this can't be anything else. People just don't pop up on other planets. Right? **Right...?**_

 _If I don't wake up from this nightmare soon, I'll be pretty much screwed._

So I set off into the unknown, hoping all of this to be nothing more than a product of my imagination.

 _...Why does my dreamscape have to look like a desert of all things?_

* * *

My throat was dry. Probably drier than it had ever been in my life. I hadn't drunk anything since- since I don't even know when. I was marching for what felt like hours. Or days. Or ages. I could say one thing for certain - _if this isn't real, I don't know what is._

My surroundings were nothing more than a sea of sand. Sand to the left. Sand to the right. Sand behind me, sand in front of me. Sand in my shoes. Sand freaking everywhere.

I had a very nasty, pounding headache. I was also slowly starting to get more and more light-headed. This couldn't be good. I was walking for god knows how long and yet I haven't passed by even a single settlement.

I was starting to greatly regret ever leaving my previous location. If I stayed there it probably wouldn't be much different after a while, given the fact that I still didn't have any water or basic resources necessary for survival on a god-darn desert, but at least I would have some kind of shelter to shield myself from the combined power of **two** suns! It was worse than on a frying pan up here.

I honestly didn't know how much longer I would be able to pull through.

 _I don't want to die. I really, really don't want to die._

 _Don't think like that, don't think, focus on walking..._

I had to stop for a minute. Or two minutes. Or five. I was panting and my muscles protested after every single move I made. My arms were probably covered in burns but I didn't look at them, fighting to stay awake. My eyelids were sliding down every few seconds and I had to forcibly keep my eyes open.

 _It's gonna be okay, just stay up for a few more minutes!_

My legs buckled from under me and I fell on my knees. I couldn't stand straight anymore. After that, my vision went completely black. _Am I lying down? How did I-?_

* * *

Warm, dry wind blew over vast wastelands that housed mostly nothing in particular, save for a few skeletons of long-dead specimens that once lived on this Force-forsaken planet. The day was exceptionally hot, even for Tatooine's standards.

 _I'm guessing it's 'high time' I head back home._

She almost scoffed at that thought. Her father worried way too much, even though it indicated he simply attempted to be a good parent. _But for kriff's sake, I'm practically an adult now!_

Shiri truly loved Vuren - the dedication with which he always performed his work, his caring nature, his honesty. But she couldn't stay on this hellhole of a planet forever. She thought that he, being a wonderful parent and all, would understand. It was apparent that she was wrong. Her dad has always stricken her as a bit of an overprotective type, at least as overprotective as a merchant living in the middle of Mos Espa can get. But planning out her life, giving her his shop and indicating she'll spend the rest of her life as a vendor on this insufferable dustball?

 _No… just no! Why can't_ _I chose how will my life proceed!? He thinks he knows better, but what about my needs? My plans, my dreams?_

She turned her swoop bike around, blowing the dust from the ground. It billowed and coiled around her, obscuring her figure. She let her feelings of aggravation disappear onto the back of her mind, replacing them with the thrill of driving full-speed on the sandy surface of the Dune Sea. As the wind whipped past her lekku she felt the adrenaline rush through her veins, draining all of her worries away. This is what one needs when overly depressed, living on a scorching pile of nothing but sand.

Force, she _hated_ sand. It was so coarse and it got everywhere!

Riding a swoop bike was one of the few pleasures of living on Tatooine. She could go wherever she wanted and as fast as she could, without having to worry about all of her chores or boring tasks. She had to watch out for Sand People and other dangers, granted, but she never ventured far enough from Mos Espa to actually get in some kind of trouble.

Other than that, Shiri enjoyed meeting with the few friends she had or practicing shooting from a blaster on the small hill situated nearby the capital city. In general, she liked anything that presented her with some kind of risk or thrill. It was not something her father approved of, to say the least.

Normally, she worked as a shop assistant at her dad's store. They mostly sold junk that they got from the local scavengers. The process of preparing it for sale was rather tiresome - first, you had to clean it, then possibly repair what was left of it and after that, it was finally ready to be put on display. It was good to take a break from all the work once in a while.

She really couldn't imagine herself doing this her whole life. Didn't want to, either. She craved adventure, she wanted to see different planets, she wanted to explore. She didn't want to stay trapped, bound to one place for the rest of her existence.

She was so lost in her thoughts that at first she almost didn't register a small, humanoid-shaped spot slowly forming on the horizon.

 _Wait... is that a person?_

She slowed her swoop bike, not wanting to get too close to this mysterious being. It could have been anyone - a lost Tusken Raider, for example. _Is it possible I ventured a bit too far from Mos Espa this time?_

She didn't get much more time to think because suddenly she saw as the figure collapsed onto the ground. She waited several seconds for any sign of life from them but they remained unmoving. Whoever this was, they were lying unconscious in the middle of the most scorching desert on Tatooine.

Shiri carefully inched a bit closer to where the person was lying on the ground, both curious and anxious about who this might be.

From where she was standing she could make out that it was a human male with brown, unkempt hair. He looked rather young, if not like a teenager. He was dressed in a simple, plain-white shirt and blue pants made of a weird material unknown to her. There was also some kind of cloth tied around his waist.

To put it lightly, he was not dressed in something someone sane would wear if they wanted to take a stroll in a desert. Not that anybody sane would want to take a simple stroll on the Dune Sea in the first place. _Something seems really fishy here..._

He was obviously dehydrated and probably also suffered from a heat stroke.

She couldn't just leave him to die... could she?

* * *

She groaned as she lowered the mysterious man to the ground. Force, her new acquaintance was heavy. Thankfully, aside from that, the ride back home went rather smoothly. The only thing she was worried about now was how her dad will react when he sees her dragging an unconscious man through the front door. _Hopefully, he will be too busy cleaning the droid parts to notice..._

 _Is it just me or are the streets more quiet than usual?_

She felt about a dozen eyes on her back. Most likely everyone, from smugglers to slaves, was staring at her. She stopped the swoop bike in front of what was both their house and workplace, so in the middle of a fairly busy street. It was hard not to notice a young Twi'lek girl carrying around a comatose man, even in such a shady place as Mos Espa.

She stepped up to the entrance and opened the door. There was no one at the counter, which meant that her dad was somewhere in the back, probably fixing something that broke down or cleaning the mess she left after her little 'project'.

 _Ouch..._ _I forgot about that. Man, dad's gotta be furious..._

She was working on a few adjustments to her blaster. Nadee once showed her how to effectively increase the power of the blaster bolts by manipulating the... actuating module? She tried to do the same but... let's just say it didn't go well. She had an argument with Vuren right before she hopped on her swoop bike, seething with anger. Cleaning up wasn't exactly on her mind at that moment.

 _Now is not the time to think about this._

Right. She had to get this man some medical attention. She would take him to a med center if there ever was one.

Shiri supported the weight of his limp body on her side. She slowly dragged him through the small doors leading to her room and carefully put him on her bed. His breath was shallow and ragged, his lips were dry. Generally, he didn't look so good.

She had to hurry.

* * *

My back was hurting, as well as the majority of my muscles, and I felt as if someone just dumped the entire Sahara desert into my throat. Other than that, I had an itch on both of my arms. I was too exhausted to even reach out and attempt to scratch myself. _Now that's just peachy, isn't it?_

I was lying on some kind of material. _Someone must've found me!_ I was both relieved and anxious at the same time. I still didn't know who exactly stumbled upon my unconscious body or where the hell they took me.

Or on which planet I was in general because this definitely wasn't Earth. I still kind of needed to get over this fact...

"...all I want to know is what were you thinking!" My musings were cut short after I heard a male voice. It sounded as if it was muffled by a wall. "What did I tell you about bringing strangers to our house like that?"

I opened my eyes. At first, I didn't get to see much, having only brightness flood my vision. After my eyes adjusted to my surroundings a little I saw a sandy-colored celling. I slowly tried to push myself up but failed miserably. I was simply too exhausted to even do that. _So I can't move at all! Fan-fucking-tastic._ It hurt like hell, too. I almost gasped in pain but managed to control myself.

"What was I thinking?! This man would've died if I just went on my merry way!" This voice belonged to a female. Someone was arguing. It was rather clear over what...

"I'm just trying to tell you that this man... we don't know him. This might be anyone, Shiri, and I mean **anyone**. People just don't end up stranded on the Dune Sea for no reason. He might bring us trouble and you know we can't allow any more missteps. Not after that stunt that you pulled with Nadee." _A stunt?_

"That stunt I pulled!? That bastard got what was coming to him! You side with the slave owners now, dad!?" _Slave owners? They have slaves here!?_

 _"_ It's not... no, I don't side with those greedy... It's not what I mean! I mean- We need to be careful, Shiri. There is no law here, sweetheart. Money and connections are what matters. If we screw with those who have them, we might not be able to come out on top."

"I get it, I get it! But... we can't just let these scumbags treat living beings like this! Okay, I may have overstepped a little but I promise it won't happen again. I'll... try to tone down. I think you understand what I mean, dad. I think you feel it, too. And what exactly does all this it have to do with this guy, huh? What's wrong with helping him? He doesn't seem very menacing or like a runaway slave. Just look at him! Maybe 20 standard years of age, he's dressed in really weird garments, maybe he's just an off-worlder that crashed here by accident?"

There was a slight pause in the conversation, followed by a long, deep sigh.

"Shiri-"

"Don't 'Shiri' me-"

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"I'll let him stay."

"Wha- really?"

"Yes, of course! We can't just let him die now that he's here. I'll ask him questions when he's up and about. Maybe we'll find out who is he and why he ended up on this hell of a desert all alone."

Okay. I had to pause for a second. I just overheard a conversation about slavery, criminals, anarchy, some kind of a stunt and the Dune Sea. It gave me a lot to process. _Dune Sea, slavery, a desert, two suns. Don't I remember this from somewhere?_

 _But... no. No, no, no, no. This is impossible!_

A wave of disbelief washed over me again. Normally, to this point, I should've already accepted my situation. But I didn't. I couldn't do it. Accepting it would mean I'm on _Tatooine_ of all places. Tatooine, a fictional world from Star Wars!

 _But the facts speak for themselves._ _Oh god. How the fuck did I get here?!_

My musings were cut short by the sound of footsteps. Someone was approaching the room I was in. _What do I do? Think! Quick!_ I closed my eyes and started pretending I never woke up. This might not have been the smartest thing to do, but can you really blame me? I just found out I'm in another fucking universe. I was in shock. And scared. Really scared.

 _If I'm really in **Star Wars**_ _(god this sounds ridiculous), then just exactly when? In the Rise of the Empire era? It seems like it..._ While I liked Star Wars (mostly because of Kate, she was the one that made me watch every and each of the six movies _three times_ ), I wasn't really an all-out lore nerd. I could ponder like this forever but I had other things to worry about.

"It seems he hasn't come to yet. I gave him some water and put ointment on his arms. He has some nasty burns." It was the girl's voice. This... what was her name? Shiri?

"Let me look at him."

The footsteps ceased. I could feel someone standing over me.

"It seems he's stable now." It was the guy she was arguing with. Her father. "But..." _Huh?_ "he isn't sleeping anymore."

"What?"

"Hey, you! You're breathing a little too quickly for a man that's out cold." _Damn it!_

I begrudgingly opened my eyes once again. I didn't expect to see an alien. I almost did a double take. He was tall, _green,_ with two _head tentacles_ and yellow eyes. _Is that a... Twi'lek?_

"Shiri, pass me some water here."

"All right, just wait a second." After these words the girl stalked to another room, leaving me with the Twi'lek man. She was also an alien. Just like her father, she was green with yellow highlights on some parts of her body. I couldn't see much of her face from where I was lying down, but she seemed rather pretty, with the kind of exotic beauty... _But what am I thinking right now!? I should get my act together!_

"So, let me ask you a question first. Just how long have you been awake?" _Oh well. Should I tell the truth?_

"Umm... for a while..." _Jeez._ My voice sounded raspy and quiet. Almost not like my voice at all.

"And just how long is a while, huh?" His tone was stern but he had a look of sympathy on his face.

"Long enough... to overhear... your conversation...?" I managed to rasp out. It sounded more like a question than a statement. Somehow I felt a little bit guilty about having listened in their argument.

The alien sighed. "Sorry that you had to hear that. I really didn't mean... you know what." He sounded apologetic. He also seemed rather distressed about the whole situation. _Well, this is very, very awkward._

Before I managed to reply to him the girl, Shiri, entered the room. She was carrying two bottles and a cup on a tray.

"Here you go." She said while setting the tray on a low, stone table. She flashed me a smile and retreated. She settled on a chair that was situated next to the door, probably intent on listening to our conversation.

"First have a sip, boy. Then we'll continue our talk."

I nodded to him, grateful. How long ago have I had a drink? I didn't even remember.

He helped me sit up. My muscles were still numb and I had difficulty moving. He poured the contents of one of the bottles into the cup and gave it to me. _Finally._ _Oh god, what would I give for some lemonade with ice cubes inside..._

After emptying more than one cup I was refreshed. My lips weren't dry anymore and I didn't feel like I just ate a plate full of sand for breakfast. _I must thank them when I have a chance... They practically saved my life._ The entire idea of almost dying still made me go cold. If not for them, I would be a dead man now...

"So what's your name? Where do ya come from?" The girl asked with a tone of genuine curiosity.

"Emm..." I started saying, but I was quickly interrupted by her father.

"Let me handle this, Shiri. Don't you see our guest is confused and exhausted?"

"Um, no, it's okay! I actually feel a lot better now." I cut in before Shiri had a chance to protest to her father. My voice finally sounded normal. Thankfully. _Okay. So... what do I tell them?_ It was something I had to do, sooner or later. Better sooner than later.

Well, that was the part I hadn't thought out. I couldn't simply tell them 'Hi, I'm Josh, I'm from Earth. Haven't heard about it? Oh, no, it's not anywhere near here. It's actually in another galaxy that is also probably a part of another universe!', could I?

"My name is Josh. I'm from..." Insert an awkward pause that totally didn't make me sound suspicious. "...Alderaan."

There. I said it.

 _They say that lies have short legs..._

The alien-whose-name-I-still-didn't-know looked at me intently, as if considering what I said. Then he extended a hand to me.

"Vuren. And I presume you already know my daughter's name?" He smiled politely, although there was an undertone of wariness in his voice.

I shook his hand and nodded.

"So... what happened?" Vuren asked, concern evident in his voice.

 _Right, what happened Josh?_ I had to make something up. Quickly.

"I... I mean we... me and my droids... we crashed." _**Droids**? What droids? Just where I'm going with this?_ As you can see, I was improvising. I seriously suck at improvising. "I was heading to Aldeeran... but something in the hyperdrive broke down. I had to make an emergency stop and I ended up orbiting Tatooine... and that's when the engines failed. The last thing I remember is my ship falling down. After that, I remember waking up... in some kind of a cave, with my ship not in sight. If I stayed where I was my chances of survival wouldn't be really high so I decided to look for a city or a settlement or anything at all..." _Let's mix in some truth. If I'm lucky (like really, really, lucky, almost insanely so) maybe they'll buy it..._

Vuren looked at me with raised eyebrows, arms crossed, a frown on his face. He didn't look like he believed me much (if at all). "Fine, so let me get this straight... you crashed because your hyperdrive and engines failed."

I nodded once.

"And then... you woke up in a cave. And your ship just disappeared. Just like that."

I smiled nervously, vainly trying to cover up my rising panic. Before I managed to say anything, Vuren interrupted me again.

"Okay... let's say that I believe you." For a moment I couldn't comprehend what was I hearing. Then relief kicked in. _He believes me! Oh wow-_ But before I had time to even to finish that thought, I was asked one last question. "So... what are you going to do now?"

 _Oh boy._ I had no idea how to answer that.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile - Republic Space, Tython_**

The halls of the Jedi Temple of Tython were just as busy as on any other day. Although much changed after the destruction of its predecessor, the Jedi Temple of Coruscant, the Jedi Order wasn't vanquished and it still firmly held to its principles, growing from day to day, slowly restoring itself to its previous glory.

Jedi Padawan Riyan Navaro casually strolled next to his Master, the togrutan female named Ametta Nyr while dozens of Knights, other Padawans, and even initiates were passing them by. They were just heading back to their quarters after they were summoned by the Jedi Council and tasked with something rather... unusual.

One would think that at the brink of war with the Sith Empire they would be sent out to some military compound, or on a remote world to ensure its collaboration with the Republic. That was what most of their missions consisted of, but not this time. This time they were ordered to investigate a _disturbance in the force_. Yes, only a simple disturbance. It was something that bothered Riyan greatly. The disturbance has occurred a few hours ago and could be felt by every Jedi in the Order.

 _The entirety of the Jedi Order is a lot, granted, but sending out a Master and a Padawan to inspect it? The peace is hanging on a thread! The Council is just wasting its resources while we could be doing something useful!_

"I sense your distress, Padawan. Is it our task that bothers you so much?" The Jedi Master asked, sternly but with a tinge of understanding. She probably didn't even need the Force to tell that he was discontent, having spent with him more than 8 years, teaching him everything she knew so he could make a fine Jedi Knight and protect the Republic. And _peace_ , of course... as long as it lasted.

"I simply can't believe the Council has assigned us to something so... _petty._ Can't the Masters just meditate on this? We have bigger concerns than this, like the Empire!" He said, aggravated.

Master Ametta only smiled softly at her Padawan. Riyan almost groaned internally, already knowing what was coming. Every time his Master had that look on her face, it meant he was about to be lectured. _Thoroughly_. " _The Council_ has better things to do than to look for the source of an unknown disturbance, that's why they have ordered _us_ to do _it_ for them, Riyan."

"But Master, they said themselves that this wasn't a very pressing matter! And we have been stuck at the Temple for almost a year now, while-"

"It is not our place to defy the Council, Riyan. As I said before, the Council has greater matters to attend to, and we have been assigned what they are too busy to conclude. It may be nothing of importance, but we don't know that. It may as well be something life-changing. You are too young and inexperienced to know better, trust me. You still have much to learn, Padawan." She swiftly cut in with a tiny smile on her face, leaving no room for further discussion. Ametta Nyr was very patient and kind spirited, but when she had to she could be stern, demanding and she _always_ had to abide by the rules.

Riyan only sighed in defeat and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he couldn't convince his Master that this entire thing was a waste of time. _I guess I'll have to 'open my mind' and accept the will of the Council. **Again**. _Sometimes he wished his Master was a bit more _unconventional_. Though he was still grateful that she decided on teaching him. He didn't know what he would do without her.

So they continued their walk in silence, unbeknownst to what would they discover.


End file.
